Radiation resistant container

ABSTRACT

A radiation resistant container fabricated from sheets of different materials laminated together with at least one of said sheets being impervious to radiation. The laminated sheets can be used to line a permanent type of container or to fabricate a throw-away type of container.

United States Patent [1 1 in] 3,845,316

Tureck Oct. 29, 1974 [54] RADIATION RESISTANT CONTAINER 2,749,448 6/1956 Appelbaum et al. 250/516 [76] In entor: Al Tureck 3728 w. Enfield Ave" 3,569,7l3 3/l97l Via, Jr. 250/516 Skokie, lll. 60076 Primary ExaminerArchie R. Borchelt [22] Wed: 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Alter Weiss Whitsel & Laff 211 App]. No; 343,557

[57] ABSTRACT g 8 9 35 A radiation resistant container fabricated from sheets [58] Fieid 5'8 519 of different materials laminated together with at least 256/5 l one of said sheets being impervious to radiation. The laminated sheets can be used to line a permanent type 56] References Cited of container or to fabricate a throw-away type of con- UNITED STATES PATENTS tame" 2,640,937 6/!953 Munday 250/519 7 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENYEMBI 29 I974 IIIIIIIIIII III-I'm.--

no- I I RADIATION RESISTANT CONTAINER This invention is concerned with containers and more particularly with radiation resistant containers for use as carry-on luggage. Presently, in an attempt to prevent hijacking, all carry-on luggage in major countries are being searched. One mode of searching includes X- raying the carry-on luggage. A problem, therefore, with luggage and carry-on bags used in air travel is that during the x-ray search of the bag, film or transistorized equipment such as transistorized radios, that are sensitive to radiation, are damaged or destroyed.

It is well known that material such as lead can be utilized to stop radiation, such as K-rays. Generally lead lined containers such as bags are either too heavy, too expensive or else enable the leakage of radiation around the impervious material used for stopping the radiation.

Accordingly, an object ofthis invention is to provide a new and unique container for use in protecting radiation sensitive devices therein from radiation.

A related object of this invention is to provide collapsible radiation resistant containers that can be folded into a small compact packages when not in use. This last mentioned type of container can be used within other luggage.

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide luggage type containers having radiation impervious linings laminated between plastic layers as the inside of the luggage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a method for fabricating a useful radiation resistant container from a laminate.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a plastic enclosed lead foil sheet that is fabricated into a container to protect radiation sensitive devices from x-ray examinations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide carry-on type luggage that protects the devices therein from bright sunlight.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a radiation resistant container fabricated from sheets of different materials that are laminated together. At least one of the sheets is impervious to radiation. Preferrably a first side of the radiation impervious material is polyester, while a second side of the radiation impervious material is polyethylene. Thus, the polyethylene sheet, radiation impervious sheet, such as lead foil and the polyester sheet comprise the laminate from which the radiation resistant container is fabricated.

Fabrication is accomplished, in one preferred embodiment, by shaping a bag from the laminated sheets. The laminated sheets are folded so that the ends of the laminate are enclosed with at least an overlapped and abutting inch of said radiation impervious material.

The above mentioned and other objects and features of this invention together with the manner of obtaining them will become more apparent and the invention itselfwill be best understood by making reference to the following description of a preferred embodiment ofthe invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I shows in pictorial form, with a partial cut away view, a radiation resistant container fabricated from a laminate, including a sheet of radiation impervious material;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial showing with a cut away view of a radiation resistant carry-on luggage container using the laminated three sheet material to form the lining of the luggage container;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the laminate showing the three layers including the radiation impervious material between the inner and outer layers; and

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show steps in the fabrication of the laminate into the radiation resistant container such as shown in FIG. I.

Where possible simple terms are used and specific items are described hereinafter to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

It should be understood, however, that the use of such terms in reference to such items are not to act in any manner as a disclaim or of the full range of equivalents which is normally given by established principle of Patent Law.

To illustrate, the attached drawings show a wire clamp for sealingly closing the container of the FIG. 1. It should be understood that other means may be used to lock the container closed; such as, for example, clip means. Quite obviously, there are other examples that could be selected to illustrate the manner in which the specific terms which have been used and items which have been described are entitled to a wide range of equivalents.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a radiation resistant collapsible container at It). The container is fabricated from a laminate 11 to enclose an interior section 9. At 12, in phanthom, is shown an overlap portion of the laminate, where the opposite longitudinal sides overlappingly abut each other.

An alternative overlap point is shown at 7 in FIG. 4. Here, again, the laminate is made to overlap approximately one inch. Thus, a sheet of laminate such as shown in cross sectional form in FIG. 3 is first folded over and abuttingly overlapped at 7 such as shown in FIG. 4 to form a pipe like arrangement having an open top 13 and bottom 13a. The bottom opening ofthe bag is sealed by overlapping or pressing and crimping together the abutting interior of the bag at least an inch above the bottom, as shown at 8.

Thus, only the top 13 is then open. Means are provided for selectively closing the top and locking it closed. More particularly, wire means, such as commonly used in coffee bags andthe like shown at I4 and 15 are used for retaining a folded over portion of the container in the folded condition when it is desired to close the bag.

The bag may be shaped as shown in FIG. 1 and can hold items on the inside such as a roll of film I6, a radio I7 and a camera [8. It should be noted in FIG. 5 the portion 7 is folded down before the crimping and sealing ofthe bottom. This acts to hold the overlapped portion 7 contiguous to the rest of the outer sheet.

In FIG. 2 a regular carry-on luggage container is shown at 20. The walls and the bottom of the luggage container are are lined as shown at II with the radiation impervious laminate. There is an overlap between the bottom and the walls of the container as shown at 21, of at least an inch. Similarly, at the top, as shown at 23, there is also an overlap of at least an inch because the cover 22 is lined and the main body of the container is also lined. The cover 22 is locked with means such as the clasp 25. A carry-on strap is shown generally coupled to the carry-on luggage container 20 by means such as loop 26.

HO. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of the laminate. Herein is a black layer of polyethylene shown at 30 laminated and attached to a layer of lead foil 32 to provide the imperviousness to radiation required. A layer of white polyester is shown at 31. The black poly ethylene 30 is used on the inside of the final container and is approximately 3 mils thick. The lead foil is approximately lra mils thick, while the white outer polyester is approximately 1 mil thick.

The sheets are laminated together to form a single laminate. Then the laminate is spread out with the white side down and the black side up. The laminate is folded around a front panel and the two longitudinal ends are overlappingly sealed together leaving an open bottom and an open top. The open bottom is then lappingly sealed together, either by bending, crimping and sealing or merely by overlappingly heat sealing the bottom. The black polyethylene tends to cling to itself. The top is left open and available to place materials within the bag.

After the materials are placed in the bag, the top is folded over at least an inch and maintained closed by means such as wires 14 and 15. This means facilitate easy reopening to remove and replace any materials within the bag.

It should be noted that the radiation resistant container can be reused and is easily transportable by folding it up when not used for protecting radiation susceptible materials. Thus, a traveler can carry the bag within other luggage and then if he purchases film for his camera, for example, or a radio, can place it within the radiation impervious container which can then be placed into any regular carry-on luggage and still provide adequate protection for radiation susceptible materials.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific apparatus and applications, it is to be understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A radiation resistant container,

said container fabricated from layers of sheets laminated together to form a single laminate,

one of said sheets being impervious to radiation of the x-ray type,

a first plastic sheet laminated to one side of said sheet of radiation impervious material,

a second plastic sheet laminated to the other side of said sheet of radiation impervious material,

said single laminate having first and second spaced apart ends, a top and a bottom.

said single laminate being folded so that at least an inch of the first plastic sheet at the ends of said sin gle laminate abut each other,

said abutting ends of said first plastic sheet being sealed together, the bottoms of said first plastic sheet being in a sealed abutting relationship for at least an inch, and holding means for removably holding the top folded over by at least an inch and contiguous to the rest of the laminate thereby forming a bag that can be closed to prevent radiation from entering therein.

2. The radiation resistant container of claim I wherein said holding means comprises wire tabs.

3. The radiation resistant container of claim I wherein said radiation impervious material consists of lead foil, and

wherein the first plastic sheet is the interior lining of the bag.

4. The radiation resistant container of claim 3 wherein said first plastic sheet comprises black polyethylene, and

wherein the second plastic sheet comprises white polyester.

5. The radiation resistant container of claim 4 wherein said polyethylene sheet is l/2,000 to l/5,000 of an inch thick and said polyester is l/ l ,000 to l /2,000 of an inch thick.

6. A radiation resistant container,

said container comprising a piece of luggage,

the lining of said luggage including a laminate,

said laminate fabricated from three layers of sheets of material laminated together,

the middle layer being a sheet of lead foil,

a first layer on one side of lead foil being a sheet of black polyethylene,

a second layer on the other side of said lead foil being a sheet of white polyester, said luggage container having a cover and a main body section each lined with the laminate, and said cover overlapping onto the main body section by at least an inch.

7. A method of fabricating a radiation resistant container from a laminate,

the method of combining the steps of laminating a black polyethylene sheet to one side of a lead foil sheet, laminating the other side with a white polyester sheet to make a laminate,

said laminate being spread out with the white side down and the black side up,

said laminate folded so that the black ends thereof abut each other by at least a 1 inch section, sealing together the ends at the at least 1 inch abutting section,

sealing two sides of the open bottom together so that there is at least a l inch sealed abutting section of the polyethylene closing the open bottom, and the open top being folded over at least an inch to fabricate a container for use in protecting radiation susceptible material.

* a: k v x 

1. A radiation resistant container, said container fabricated from layers of sheets laminated together to form a single laminate, one of said sheets being impervious to radiation of the x-ray type, a first plastic sheet laminated to one side of said sheet of radiation impervious material, a second plastic sheet laminated to the other side of said sheet of radiation impervious material, said single laminate having first and second spaced apart ends, a top and a bottom, said single laminate being folded so that at least an inch of the first plastic sheet at the ends of said single laminate abut each other, said abutting ends of said first plastic sheet being sealed together, the bottoms of said first plastic sheet being in a sealed abutting relationship for at least an inch, and holding means for removably holding the top folded over by at least an inch and contiguous to the rest of the laminate thereby forming a bag that can be closed to prevent radiation from entering therein.
 2. The radiation resistant container of claim 1 wherein said holding means comprises wire tabs.
 3. The radiation resistant container of claim 1 wherein said radiation impervious material consists of lead foil, and wherein the first plastic sheet is the interior lining of the bag.
 4. The radiation resistant container of claim 3 wherein said first plastic sheet comprises black polyethylene, and wherein the second plastic sheet comprises white polyester.
 5. The radiation resistant container of claim 4 wherein said polyethylene sheet is 1/2,000 to 1/5,000 of an inch thick and said polyester is 1/1,000 to 1/2,000 of an inch thick.
 6. A radiation resistant container, said container comprising a piece of luggage, the lining of said luggage including a laminate, said laminate fabricated from three layers of sheets of material laminated together, the middle layer being a sheet of lead foil, a first layer on one side of lead foil being a sheet of black polyethylene, a second layer on the other side of said lead foil being a sheet of white polyester, said luggage container having a cover and a main body section each lined with the laminate, and said cover overlapping onto the main body section by at least an inch.
 7. A method of fabricating a radiation resistant container from a laminate, the method of combining the steps of laminating a black polyethylene sheet to one side of a lead foil sheet, laminating the other side with a white polyester sheet to make a laminate, said laminate being spread out with the white side down and the black side up, said laminate folded so that the black ends thereof abut each other by at least a 1 inch section, sealing together the ends at the at least 1 inch abutting section, sealing two sides of the open bottom together so that there is at least a 1 inch sealed abutting section of the polyethylene closing the open bottom, and the open top being folded over at least an inch to fabricate a container for use in protecting radiation susceptible material. 